Competitors from far and wide attend the Southern Hills Triathlon

HOT SPRINGS, S.D. — During a Black Hills summer, many love to get out in the outdoors to bike, swim, and go for a run.

Earlier Saturday, the Southern Hills Triathlon at Angostura Reservoir gave exercise lovers a chance to every one of those things.

Here’s how it played out: Over 200 participants battled in the sprint, olympic, and kids races, a record for the Southern Hills Triathlon that usually hosts about 120 racers.

“People really wanted to get out and they wanted to kind of experience, you know, some of this, especially since they missed last years, so a lot of these diehard racers that have been coming for years, they wanted to come back,” said Southern Hills Triathlon Race Director Brendan Murphy.

But this year wasn’t just about the regulars. Competitors from nine different states and Canada came to be a part of the race.

A big trend seen this year has been families dragging each other through the gauntlet.

“We’re just blessed to have all these people that want to come out,” said Brendan. “You know it’s super exciting and and most of these racers are first timers. We’ve got families that you know with multiple members of the family.”

Families coming together, including the Woodland Family from Utah.

Eliza (mom), Eric (dad), and daughter Halle, who has cerebral palsy, completed the sprint event.

And the key to completing their first triathlon? Using what got them there.

“I think from a family standpoint it meant, it was the first kind of accomplishment that we did, you know?” said Eric Woodland. “It was pretty emotional for for all of us of just being able to be there together as a family and do it.”

“You know we started doing stuff later in life that I would never have done,” said Eliza Woodland. “I thought running a mile was an accomplishment and now we’ve done. But she she’s the motivation.”